Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the PHP150- million initial phase of the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) Bulan Fish Port Complex (BFPC) will be completed next year, but the project needs an additional PHP650 million to complete the succeeding expanding phases.
Once fully developed, the BFPC in Sorsogon will span five hectares, transforming it into a modern fisheries and agri-logistics hub serving Southern Luzon and neighboring provinces.
Secretary Tiu Laurel said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the project to be fast-tracked, with completion targeted by the end of 2027.
The Marcos administration is accelerating the expansion of the BFPC as it ramps up investments in fisheries infrastructure to strengthen the country’s marine food supply chain.
“The President wants this completed sooner rather than later because every year we delay is another year of missed income for our fishermen and missed investment opportunities for the region,” Tiu Laurel said after inspecting Bulan’s newly completed 60-metric-ton ice plant.
The expanded complex will include cold storage, blast freezers, flake ice facilities, smokehouses, fish-drying areas, and an extended quayside capable of accommodating more fishing vessels. Local officials have also proposed setting aside space for trading agricultural products, broadening the facility into a regional agri-trading center.
The PHP96.7-million ice plant, now operational, can produce 1,200 blocks of 50-kilogram ice daily. The facility is expected to reduce post-harvest losses by keeping fish fresh for up to seven days, extending shelf life, and giving fishermen more time to bring their catch to better-paying markets instead of rushing to sell at lower prices.
PFDA Acting General Manager Atty. Glen A. Pangapalan said the expansion reflects the government’s strategy of strengthening the entire fisheries value chain, from fish landing to processing, storage, transport, and marketing.
“The accelerated expansion of the Bulan Fish Port Complex demonstrates the government’s commitment to investing in infrastructure that directly benefits our fishing communities,” Pangapalan said. “This will be more than a fish port. It will be a modern fisheries and logistics hub that reduces post-harvest losses, creates jobs, and enables fisherfolk to earn more by preserving the quality and value of every catch.”
Sorsogon Rep. Manuel L. Fortes Jr. pledged to push for the project’s funding in Congress, saying the investment would generate jobs and strengthen the province’s growing fisheries sector.
Bulan is one of several fish ports being upgraded under the government’s island-based marine food system, which integrates fish ports with ice plants, cold-chain facilities, and other post-harvest infrastructure to reduce food losses, strengthen food security, and raise incomes in coastal communities across the country.
